The drift is a motor sport where the driver controls the vehicle as it slides from one side to the other on a race track. It takes place on the asphalt and is judged on speed, angle of attack, the method and style rather than speed. Drift cars are typically propulsion compact sports coupe and medium size. The goal is to send the most power to the rear wheels to literally undercut their adhesion to the track and drag and making the car accelerate. The ” drift “(” slip “in French) must be maintained throughout the turn using nearly all the power of the vehicle, a braking accurately calibrated and oversteer very accurate.

How is drifting judged?

Since the drift of events are judged by the performance and style, judges should of course have the usual limits of the car and various advanced techniques used by pilots. The judges of the D1 Grand Prix, for example, professionals are training for the race or drift. These experts evaluate and judge the speed, angle of attack, the quality of the show and control the vehicle. These limits are fully aware of competitors’ vehicles, and also judge the operation of the car. A car that is not fully exploited is synonymous with elimination. All drivers must be a single session and then go the rounds of elimination Top 16 in ” battle “. They then have to qualify in the “Best 8″ (top eight) before they can advance to the ” Final Four “(four semi-finals or better) preceding the final. As exciting as the drifting solo, this type of show the audience incredibly light. Factors as slow as to impede the opponent, running into another vehicle or make a head-to-tail immediately exclude the driver. To advance to the next round, the driver must use tactics such as putting pressure on the opponent having angles of drift or initiate more aggressive cornering quickly. The judges really know the capabilities of competitors and cars if the driver does not reach the limits of the car it will be eliminated.
The history of drift

The movement was started in the year 1980 in Japan . Like other forms of professional racing today, the modern interpretation of drifting evolved from a form of illegal street racing practiced in the winding streets of mountain called Touge (pronounced “to-ford”). The Touge was practiced by the Zoku (pronounced “zo-kou”) who wanted to truncate precious seconds of their time between two points. Subsequently, several of these rolling zoku began to adopt driving techniques practiced by drivers rally . These techniques included a complete turn quickly without sacrificing too much momentum. Gradually, as the drivers Touge adopted these techniques, they discovered that not only their driving performance and their times were improved but the feeling was much more intense. The Touge, drifting was born. In other words, the drift can go faster in the corners that grip.
The basic techniques for drift

There are several techniques of drift. The most widely used techniques are the ” e-brake “and the” feigned drift . ”
E-brake slide and Long
The technical e-brake (for emergency brake , which means “emergency brake”, more commonly ” brake-to-hand “), also called” brake side “(” brake side “), is the easier it is to turn briefly to brake the hand leaving the unlocked, allowing the rear of the vehicle to lose traction, accompanied by a slight overspeed at the entrance of turn and accelerate against-steering of metered. This technique is not very advanced, which wastes time, hence its use very limited, and frequently reduced to the pins used to recover a vehicle understeer in a curve. Also used for front wheel drive vehicles (see below FF drift ).
A variant of the ” brake side “, called” long slide “(” long slide “), is used for turns medium to high speed. This technique is an earlier use of the handbrake around turns often preceded by a straight line to initialize the drift earlier, the car is braked only by its use. This drift is performed by pulling the handbrake by approaching the turn and holding it until the end of the turn.
Power over
The ” power over “(” Over Power “) is a simple technique of approaching a turn at a moderate pace, then speed up violently into a corner while steering more or less strong according to the power of the vehicle, a powerful car is necessary and a cons-quick steering is expected.
Clutch kicking
The ” clutch kicking “(in French” clutch shot “) is to disengage when we are in full throttle and re-engage quickly, thus giving a blow over engine speed and torque to the wheels, with the effect the loss of adhesion. This method is often used to extend a drift that seems to end prematurely when a tighter turn reopens for example. The cars most fond of this technique are the Toyota Corolla (AE86) and Starlet (KE70), or the BMW 3 series (E30) that are low in power and therefore require constant use of this type, which is both a compromise between speed and storage efficiency. To approach a turn or during a mild drift, push the clutch suddenly, jolting the correct path by capsizing the back.
Feint drift
The ” pretended drift “(” pretends “means a” fake “, it is used among others to surprise the car behind) is simply a mass transfer. The technique is to position itself within the first of a turn, then give a quick swerve to the outside and then enter the rear of the vehicle and jettison weight to induce oversteer. On a very twisty track, the ” pretended drift “can be used to complete the entire circuit drift in, linking curves to each other by mass transfer of this type.
Braking
The ” Braking “(” brake “) is to stop continually before the turn then to the beginning while having a speed higher than normal: the simple act of releasing the brake put the car into oversteer. This performance was achieved by braking sharply on a bend, causing a loss of traction by balancing and then drifting through the movements of the steering and throttle. (This drift is mainly suitable for cornering at medium or low speed).
Left Foot Braking
The ” left foot Braking “(” left foot braking “) is a technique often used in rally racing. This is to give lots of revolution to the motor (traction) and press down the brake pedal with his left foot, so to block the rear wheels without locking the front wheels. It is also a very good technique to make sharp turns without losing speed at the exit. This technique is very difficult to handle.
Manji
The ” manji “is played straight, this is a series of” pretending “to both sides of the track using the entire width thereof. Also called ” Choku dori “which translates to” fishtail “.
Dirt Drop Drift
During this drift, the rear tires of the road to go down-side (in the ground) to maintain or gain drift angle without losing power and then stabilized (technique adapted for low-powered cars).
Jump Drift
In this technique the rear tire bounces over the curb to the inside corner (or top) to lose traction resulting in over-deflection.
Swaying brake
This is one characterized by a slow drift of the swing back to the front of the car into the turn.
FF Drift
On vehicles with front wheel drive and front engine (FF means ” Front-engine, Front-wheel drive “), the emergency brake as the wheel and braking techniques must be used to balance the car in the turn (the emergency brake or parking brake , is the main technique to balance such a drift).
Shift lock
This drift is performed by letting decrease the number of revolutions per minute by a shift in a curve, then releasing the clutch to put strain on the transmission and slow the rear of the car (it’s like pulling the emergency brake in a turn – This must be done on wet roads so as not to damage the transmission).
Call / call-cons
Technique of putting the car drift to spend a turn faster. A first call (brief swerve in the direction of turn) will put the car into oversteer, then against a turning-back will allow the wheels to the axle of the road out of the turn.
Race Drift
This is a performance staged in sprint, entering at high speed into the turn, the driver takes his foot off the accelerator to steer a little too much and then balances the drift through the movements of the steering wheel and accelerator (the car used for this type of drift must be in equilibrium, so the pilot can steer to the excess. If the car trudges around a curve, this technique will not work).
Heel-toe (or peak-peak)
Called ” heel-and-toe “in English, this technique aims to double-clutch during braking using the right foot on both the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal. To do this, the pilot site is the tip of the foot on the brake and heel on the accelerator or the left side of the tip on the brake and the right side of the accelerator.
Power slide
The ” power slide “(” slip under acceleration “) is a phase of drift, it usually starts in turn from the time runs out and the slides where the acceleration is necessary to continue. The car handles the throttle from now until the end of the curve.
The drift is a style of driving of vehicles consisting of skidding of the vehicle so that an angle to the direction of movement. At the end of the decade of 1990 , became its own discipline, with specially trained drivers with cars equipped to maintain controlled skidding at high speeds and championships in which there is competition for time but for style.
Content [ hide ]
1 Origin
2 Vehicles
3 Techniques
3.1 Dirt Drop Drift (drift by dirty track)
3.2 E-brake (handbrake)
3.3 Power Over (Over-acceleration)
3.4 Shift Lock (lock change)
3.5 Kansei Drift (Drift emotional)
3.6 Braking Drift (Drift Braking)
3.7 Feint Drift (Drift feinting)
3.8 Clutch Kick (Kick the clutch)
4 External Links
Origin

The discipline of drifting, which derives from the English language originated in Japan in the 70′s, created by illegal racers down mountain roads at high speeds. The original technique prevented the cars off the road and fell over the cliffs and in turn prevent overtaking.
It is said that for many drivers, the mountain roads were an alternative site for racing illegal, because unlike in places like North America or Europe, in Japan the streets are short and narrow, preventing speed loft the long runs. For this reason they ran in mountain stages, where as many vehicles circulating in the city while monitoring police was lower.
Thus evolved until he could be counted as an own discipline. The first official competition dedicated solely to drifting occurred in 1988 . After causing a stir in Asian countries went all the way up to the United States , where it evolved and went racing at flat tracks steep slopes. In Japan, the most successful drivers become popular personalities.
Following that, films and series were created for that purpose (see Intial D, BMI, etc.).
Vehicles

Special wheel adapted to Drifting
Vehicles used in competitions such as the D1 Grand Prix and the Formula Drift can sometimes considered the style tuning . For optimal performance in these competitions, the vehicle is often modified to account for some of these features:
Body : made ​​of glass fiber , carbon fiber , kevlar , or combinations thereof.
Drive: rear or rear.
Suspension: is modified to better control the car.
You install a limited slip differential to go car tail from side to side easier to get a higher score.
Use special covers.
Creating reinforced tubular chassis that runs from the front of the engine to the back of the cabin, which prevents it to deform or “twist”.
Because at the time of drift hardly change gears, the engine is installed EWRS (high pressure system cooling), connecting rods, pistons, piston rings, cylinder head, crankshaft and forged engine block for high speed achieved, since this decreases the risk of breaking the mechanism. Also due to this disadvantage the second and third gear have a lower draw ratio (are longer).
You should also consider the following:
All participating cars must be of normal sale to the general public, are therefore prohibited special competition models including prototypes .
Slicks tires are prohibited or competition.
Headlights, turn signals, brake and night shall be kept intact.
It must keep the passenger seat.
Are prohibited tinted glass or tinted.
During the competition must remain closed car windows.
They must wear a helmet and a closed type neck brace, as in all such competition internationally .
Admission: by the conical filter Intercooler isolated and improved. so that the engine is once you release gas costs less, it costs less to introduce them into the admission.
Techniques

Most people think that just pull the handbrake to start doing just drift , but in reality there are many techniques that do not touch the handbrake to start to skid. These are instructions on Keiichi Tsuchiya Drift King, to make a good drift, “What were contributed by Julio Cesar Avila Ornelas. l. and Santiago Ramirez”:
Dirt Drop Drift (drift by dirty track)
1. Enters a curve at half speed.
2. Turn the wheels to the curve and continues to accelerate but saliéndote a bit of the track with the opposite side you will take the curve (eg if you’re taking a left-hander let the wheels run over the right the dirty side)
3. When your rear wheel off the track surface grip under your wheels will lose traction. Continues to accelerate while your car back on track to continue the skid.
4. When you feel the back of your car slides immediately countersteer the wheels to face straight with the road. Your vehicle will pull in the direction of your front wheels, where are still moving. Continues to accelerate. If you press the brakes or let off the throttle because your vehicle is extremely oversteered you will spin out or leave the road.
5. When you want to straighten the car, after completing the drift, let off the throttle smoothly and straighten out the direction as your car while the rear of your car is aligned with the front wheels.
E-brake (handbrake)
1. Enters a curve at high speed (if not skid your car should experience understeer at this speed).
2. Download a spike-heeled up doing to get the car in a gear low enough that the wheels lose traction when hasten (2nd place)
3. Turn wheels sharply toward the curve. When you finish off the fly and turn the wheels should be at the apex of the curve.
4. Press the button of your parking brake and pull it up sharply, then quickly returns to put the parking brake in place (to keep it up for just a second). If you are using a rear-wheel drive disengages as you pull the handbrake. If you are using a front-wheel drive continues to accelerate as you pull it.
5. When you feel the back of your car slides immediately countersteer the wheels to face straight with the road. Your vehicle will pull in the direction of your front wheels, where are still moving. Continues to accelerate. If you press the brakes or let off the throttle because your vehicle is extremely oversteered you will spin out or leave the road.
6. When you want to straighten the car, after completing the drift, let off the throttle smoothly and straighten out the direction as your car while the rear of your car is aligned with the front wheels.
Power Over (Over-acceleration)

A Toyota Supra drifting practice.
1. Enters a curve at any speed. The above-acceleration skid is based on the power so you do not need high speed or centrifugal force to get it.
2. Turn wheels sharply toward the corner and then accelerate enough that your wheels lose traction. The inertia of the car combined with excessive speeding your car will oversteer.
3. When you feel the back of your car slides immediately countersteer the wheels to face straight with the road. Your vehicle will pull in the direction of your front wheels, where are still moving. Continues to accelerate. If you press the brakes or let off the throttle because your vehicle is extremely oversteered you will spin out or leave the road.
4. When you want to straighten the car, after completing the drift, let off the throttle smoothly and straighten out the direction as your car while the rear of your car is aligned with the front wheels.
Shift Lock (lock change)
1. Enters a curve at high speed (if not skid your car should experience understeer at this speed).
2. Turn the wheel and quickly changes to a lower gear.
3. To downshift quickly (but without tip-heeled) will create a strain on the drivetrain, making the car decelerate and your engine revolutions increase.
4. After downshift, accelerate quickly making the wheels lose traction, causing your car to skid.
5. When you feel the back of your car slides immediately countersteer the wheels to face straight with the road. Your vehicle will pull in the direction of your front wheels, where are still moving. Continues to accelerate. If you press the brakes or let off the throttle because your vehicle is extremely oversteered you will spin out or leave the road.
6. When you want to straighten the car, after completing the drift, let off the throttle smoothly and straighten out the direction as your car while the rear of your car is aligned with the front wheels.
Kansei Drift (Drift emotional)
1. Enters a curve at high speed. The Kansei Drift should be sprint (if not skid your car should experience a strong understeer at this speed).
2. Rotates the wheels to the inside of the curve, then quickly released the accelerator. The inertia of the car combined with the loss of acceleration will make your car oversteer.
3. When your car starts to lose traction quickly accelerates again. This will give too much power to the wheels for traction available, making your car skidding.
4. When you feel the back of your car slides immediately countersteer the wheels to face straight with the road. Your vehicle will pull in the direction of your front wheels, where are still moving. Continues to accelerate. If you press the brakes or let off the throttle because your vehicle is extremely oversteered you will spin out or leave the road.
5. When you want to straighten the car, after completing the drift, let off the throttle smoothly and straighten out the direction as your car while the rear of your car is aligned with the front wheels.
Braking Drift (Drift Braking)
1. Enters a curve at high speed (if not skid your car should experience understeer at this speed)
2. Download a spike-heeled up doing to get the car in a gear low enough that the wheels lose traction when hasten (2nd place).
3. Turn wheels sharply toward the curve. When you finish off the fly and turn the wheels should be at the apex of the curve.
4. Accelerate hard, but plays with the throttle to keep the skid.
5. When you feel the back of your car slides immediately countersteer the wheels to face straight with the road. Your vehicle will pull in the direction of your front wheels, where are still moving. Continues to accelerate. If you press the brakes or let off the throttle because your vehicle is extremely oversteered you will spin out or leave the road.
6. When you want to straighten the car, after completing the drift, let off the throttle smoothly and straighten out the direction as your car while the rear of your car is aligned with the front wheels.
Feint Drift (Drift feinting)
1. As you approach the curve, stay away from the direction of rotation you want to do. The distance from where you start to get away from the curve depends on the speed you’re carrying. When you turn the car to the opposite side of the turn you want to do (usually outside of the curve) will be loading the suspension on one side of your car, compressing the springs so when you turn the other way your car “bounce” to the desired direction
2. Once the suspension is compressed on the outside of the curve that want to take turns to the opposite side. This fake has to be done gently, not necessarily quickly. Turn the wheels in opposite directions too fast will cause your car subvire.
3. Accelerates after your car has “bounced” to the direction you want. The rotational force of the bounce combined with accelerating too will make your car skid. The front wheel drive cars can use the parking brake instead of the throttle to induce oversteer.
4. When you feel the back of your car slides immediately countersteer the wheels to face straight with the road. Your vehicle will pull in the direction of your front wheels, where are still moving. Continues to accelerate. If you press the brakes or let off the throttle because your vehicle is extremely oversteered you will spin out or leave the road.
5. When you want to straighten the car, after completing the drift, let off the throttle smoothly and straighten out the direction as your car while the rear of your car is aligned with the front wheels.
Clutch Kick (Kick the clutch)
1. Enters a curve at high speed (if not skid your car should experience understeer at this speed).
2. Turn the wheel and continued by tightening the throttle.
3. At this speed, your car should start to understeer. Just before this happens or when disengaged, but not release the accelerator.
4. To disengage and release the throttle your motor runs at high rpm. As soon as this happens stop push the clutch, this will make your rear wheels lose traction and the car starts to slide.
5. When you feel the back of your car slides immediately countersteer the wheels to face straight with the road. Your vehicle will pull in the direction of your front wheels, where are still moving. Continues to accelerate. If you press the brakes or let off the throttle because your vehicle is extremely oversteered you will spin out or leave the road.
6. When you want to straighten the car, after completing the drift, let off the throttle smoothly and straighten out the direction as your car while the rear of your car is aligned with the front wheels.

Ken Daniel, of Security Advisors Worldwide, or SAW, a renewable energy security advisory company contracted by Jetstream Wind, Inc. recently returned from the island of Haiti.    

I understand that you and Security Advisors Worldwide had a very successful trip to Haiti.  There doesn’t seem to be a great deal of media coming from this nation as to the daily lives of Haitians, the environmental issues they face, or the energy issues they’re looking at.

So that we can have a better picture, can you begin by talking about what it’s like for average citizens in Haiti on any given day?

Mr. Ken Daniel: 

On an average morning in Haiti, people there don’t wake up to the possibility of electricity like we do here. They pretty much use coal to warm themselves in the morning. There also aren’t the refrigeration capabilities like here in the states, so they walk to the market everyday to get whatever food they can prepare and eat that given day.

As far as the issue of water goes, in the capitol of Port-au-Prince there was some running water, and I would see people on the exteriors of buildings filling up their water containers. But out in the rural areas, it’s more difficult and being pumped out of wells.

Along the roadways are fifty-five gallon plastic drums filled with water. Haitian citizens basically walk some distances to these to get their daily water since there aren’t many vehicles owned by private citizens.

There’s obviously not a large availability of electricity in Haiti, which seems odd in this day and age. Where does this issue stem from?

Ken: 

There’s a hydro-plant that rests in-between Port-au-Prince and Hesh. It was actually built by Americans in the early part of the last century and has been around for a very long time. Put simply, it’s just old and doesn’t kick out enough power.

All of the power lines that we take for granted here in the US, actually have cobwebs growing on them in Haiti. And then, with the bad weather, hurricanes and such, there were numerous poles leaning at 45 degree angles with wires coming out of them.

The only real power was in the capitol of Port-au-Prince and it goes off regularly. Mostly though, what I saw were people with candles and bags of coal to cook their food. Really, unless you are a person with a little bit of money and can afford to be affluent, you can’t rely on the comfort of being able to depend on electricity.

With the hurricane situation, the lack of food and good shelter, renewable energy quite possibly could be the key to bringing in some the needed electricity to help with the situation.

This would be the first renewable energy technology being developed on an island, which is monumental. Would it be more difficult creating wind, solar, or hydrogen power on an island in the middle of the ocean as opposed to it being developed on a mainland?

Ken: 

In this particular place, almost everything that is needed can literally be brought to the land. With hydrogen technology for example, an area of land is cleared where it won’t require much manipulation as this technology is easily able to be placed. An added benefit to that is there won’t be any deforestation.

With solar technology, another small piece of land within a vast spread of land is cleared and the technology placed upon it. Lines won’t have to be ran over long expanses of land for fuels, diesel, or natural gas. There won’t ever be an oil spill or pipes in the ground that corrode.

So it doesn’t seem to be too difficult. Exporting equipment out of the United States and importing to an island would be the main issue to be dealt with. Jetstream Wind would have to look at building an airstrip so that they can cargo fly equipment in. Most building materials would have to be imported from the U.S., which is 300 miles off the coast of Miami, and would either come in by cargo plane or shipped in by sea.

It would be a benefit to take the time and see if there was anything available on the island that can readily be used, salvaged and recycled.

The terrain in Haiti (being an island) is more than acceptable. There are mountains, which means the wind is constantly blowing across them. There’s plenty of sunshine shining on the hills that are vast, rounded and able to be navigated. Even the new hydrogen technology can easily be implemented there.

If Haiti were to bring renewable energy in, it could be put anywhere. It wouldn’t have to be placed in a major metropolitan area, and the power from the renewable energy plant(s) could run to the pre-existing grid. The hope would be, however that Haiti itself would help to re-build the infrastructure so that all of this power could get to the homes, schools, hospitals, businesses and other places where electricity is vitally needed.

The truth is that they would have to wait far longer to get any other type of an energy program in, such as coal for example. There are also some pretty severe issues with deforestation happening at present, and so I would think that renewable energy is really the only way to go for Haiti right now.

Looking at the environmental impact of renewable energy on Haiti, would you say that there would be any, at all, created from this technology?

Ken: 

As compared to a coal-fired plant here in the United States, no, other than having to clear small pieces of land to put things on.

There are many countries that simply have to have energy right now, and this is by far the cleanest way to get it. Nuclear is not the answer. It leaves a long-standing residue as a result of that power. Natural gas and coal also lead to numerous environmental concerns.

The fact is that we can’t rely on oil for our needs any longer and I don’t want to see any more damaging changes in the land. This won’t. And the residue from this technology won’t be a bigger burden for the Earth. What’s cleaner than water?

But it really doesn’t matter what country it’s in as far as getting the renewables to work for people. It’s the technology that Jetstream Wind has that hits the central point of this whole thing. In other words, if the technology can get there and the transmission lines can get ran, then this can work almost anywhere.

Working through the issues of basic infrastructure, transmission, politics, and environment, a company like Jetstream Wind is the right answer for those people.

Did the Haitian government welcome you and the possibility of a Jetstream Wind collaboration?

Ken: 

Yes. I was treated very well. I was able to meet with the US Ambassador to Haiti, the advisor to the President of Haiti, several Prime Ministers, and the necessary others that would become involved should we all come together and build a renewable plant there.

Other than simple barriers with the French-Creole language, it was a very successful meeting and everyone was excited. It went from one meeting to five or six, with them wanting me to speak with as many leaders as possible in my short time there.

This is a major project of which Jetstream Wind would probably want to share some sort of responsibility. How deeply would the country of Haiti be involved and responsible in re-powering their nation?

Ken: 

The United States created a bailout for the auto industry. The country of Haiti will possibly need to create a financial bailout for their energy problem. They’re probably going to have to put some money into the system to start readying themselves for this type of project.

Having the years of experience in large military operations, I’ve learned to back-plan for anything. In other words, I can see the end result, but before I can get there I have to first go all the way back to where it begins. It begins by asking questions…a lot of them.

In order for renewable energy to be a reality in Haiti, the Haitian government has to ask themselves some questions so that Jetstream Wind and Security Advisors Worldwide can do our jobs.

How will they find the necessary people needed for this large of a project? How will they train these people? Where are the people located and where is the transportation going to come from to move these people? How will they communicate?

There is a lot of work to be done from taking out old transmission lines and putting in new ones, to breaking ground on the energy plant itself. Power poles will be placed on every block. New construction companies will be built, taking into account everything that goes with that including the huge amount of labor needed.

We can also take into account the education necessary to work with a project of this type, creating a national boost in knowledge. Anything from taking down a power line to managing a company with the large workforce will have to be covered.

It’s not only about the end result of the plant supplying renewable energy to the people. It also includes the entire scope of the process beginning with Haiti’s choice and ability to prepare for it.

In seeing the potential, meeting the representatives, and observing the culture, what is the one thing that you come back with?

Ken: 

I come back with the insight that the country of Haiti is only a two and half hour flight from Miami. It’s not so far away that we can’t touch it with our assistance.

Little kids are walking distances, carrying the water they needed for the day. You have to remember we as a human race have also been to the moon. We’re building a space station. How is it possible that an island, so close to the United States is in the situation it is?

This has the capacity of creating and developing a whole new job infrastructure and economy. It is a prime example of renewable energy quickly effecting the situation for the better.

The capability is there to get it done. The land is there, the people are motivated, and the technology is ready to go. With the help of the Haitians in getting the infrastructure ready, a whole new way of life can arise from this for the people of Haiti, and also the same possibility for other people and nations all over the world.

What strikes me the most from our conversation about renewable energy is its ability to cross borders, boundaries, cultures, political policies, and even world religions without leaving heavy footprints of various unwanted agendas.  

Thank you once again, Ken, for sharing this information showing how people and technology can come together to create a clean, economically stable world for our future and our children’s futures. 

Click here if you would like more information about Security Advisors Worldwide (SAW).

Ornesha  De Paoli

Green Ascension ~ Evolving People on an Evolving Planet

Ornesha De Paoli
http://www.articlesbase.com/news-and-society-articles/can-renewable-energy-power-islands-like-haiti-705671.html

ATTACHMENT PARENTING:  PARENTING IN A DETACHED SOCIETY

By Stephanie Lehane  (January 2009)

There is a modern-day debate surrounding a centuries old practice that has been coined “attachment parenting”.  To first understand the controversy, one must define the term attachment parenting.  Attachment parenting is a way of child-rearing that serves as a guideline, rather than a rulebook, for parents to better understand the non-verbal communication they receive from their infants, babies, and children.   At odds with this concept is the parenting style popularized at the beginning of the twentieth century and passed down for several generations since. 

The three main modalities of attachment parenting as they relate to infants and babies are  breastfeeding, babywearing, and co-sleeping.  It seems the mere mention of any or all of these invites a plethora of advice and opinion.   In the face of all of the scientific data pointing toward breastfeeding as the best form of nutrition for babies, women of previous generations will often advise that new mothers bottle-feed.  This same troupe of well-intended matriarchs often tends to rally behind the concept that a baby, even an infant, can be spoiled.   And of course nursing mothers who opt to co-sleep with their infants receive dire warnings of increased risk for SIDS and children who will be in high school still climbing into bed with mom and dad.  Yet, for centuries, mothers out of instinct and necessity carried, cuddled, breastfed, and co-slept with their babies.  It wasn’t until the advent of modern medicine and the advancements of science that mothers began to question their innate sensibilities in favor of advice from professionals, typically men, who would tell them that there is a new and improved way to raise a healthy baby. 

THE CONTROVERSY

Breastfeeding

All mammals nurse their young.  So why is this form of feeding and nurturing human babies controversial and how and when did it come under attack?  To be sure, breastfeeding mothers have an easier time avoiding stares and unsolicited advice when they choose to feed their babies in public today than they did a decade ago.  But some stigma still exists as a throwback to a more puritan, sterile era where doctors and formula companies alike, worked to convince society that not only was formula a better choice for babies, bottle-feeding was a more modest option for women.  The first commercial baby formula was invented in 1860 by Henri Nestle in Switzerland and became popularized during the Industrial Revolution when women were leaving the home to work in factories.  Bottle feeding reached its height in popularity during World War II with only 20-30% of women in the U.S. breastfeeding at all.   Many women still choose to bottle feed their babies today as it is seen as a more convenient method, in spite of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ current recommendation to exclusively breastfeed infants for six months and continue to nurse through age one.  However, breastfeeding is gaining in popularity during the Information Age where modern parents are growing confident in its overwhelming benefits for both baby and mother.  According to renowned pediatrician and father of eight, Dr. William Sears, not only is breast milk a sound nutritional choice, but the act of breastfeeding itself encourages the bond between mother and child.  In order to become successful at breastfeeding, mothers must be able to interpret baby’s cues and trust in their own instincts.  Mothers become child-centered and focus on their babies’ needs and how to meet them.  Likewise, baby is able to tap into and interpret her mother’s social signals and trust that her needs will be met.  A symbiotic relationship develops wherein both parties to the breastfeeding partnership must ebb and flow together.  Breastfeeding is often viewed as the first and most important aspect of attachment parenting.

Babywearing

Babywearing in all its various forms dates back to the origins of recorded history.  Anthropologists have uncovered ancient etchings depicting women carrying their babies wrapped in cloth as they worked, walked, and cared for older children.  Across cultural lines, many methods of wearing babies exists and a recently there has been a resurgence in popularity in the developed world.  However, around the same time as breastfeeding began to decline, so did the art and practice of babywearing, particularly in the West, and for the same reasons.  Mothers began to listen to the advice of their doctors who explained that holding and carrying their babies too much would lead to spoiled babies.  All sorts of inventions and devices, such as strollers and playpens, began to emerge as places for women to put their babies so as not to spoil them.  It took only a couple of generations to figure out that the opposite is actually true.  Babies who don’t receive enough tactile stimulation from being held are less organized, cry more, and in extreme cases experience “failure to thrive” which means they do not grow and develop as they should.  Recently, a Motrin ad was pulled because of the backlash from a new generation of babywearing moms and dads offended at the ads suggestion that babywearing is a new fad, something done to be seen as trendy and fashionable.  These parents opine that carrying baby close to them is not only convenient, but is a wonderfully fulfilling way to build a bond with their baby.  There are several different styles of babywearing devices such as slings, pouches, wraps and carriers and in some areas parents can find consultants to help them decide which style is best for them and their lifestyle. 

Co-sleeping

This is perhaps the most controversial of all of the different areas of attachment parenting.  Certainly, it may seem odd to western parents used to the concept of creating a separate nursery for baby, complete with crib, changing table, dresser, and rocking chair.  Historically, co-sleeping, or the practice whereby infants, babies, and/or children sleep in the same bed with their parents, has been a common practice worldwide.  Since the nineteenth century, this practice has decreased in popularity in North America, Europe, and Australia as separate sleeping arrangements became affordable and desirable.  Among the reasons opponents of co-sleeping cite in favor of separate sleeping arrangements are the possibility that a parent could roll over and inadvertently crush or suffocate her baby, increased risk of SIDS, and the inability of older babies and children to become independent and sleep alone.  However, recent research has shown significant benefits to babies and parents who co-sleep.  Studies have shown that co-sleeping may actually reduce the risk of SIDS due to the baby mirroring his mothers breathing and sleep-cycle patterns.  This is because a major factor in SIDS deaths may be the inability of babies to regulate their breathing, thereby actually “forgetting” to breathe.  Additionally, babies in the family bed experience shorter and fewer deep-sleep states.  This is important because prolonged states of deep sleep, such as occur after long bouts of crying or sleeping alone, are potentially another major cause of SIDS.  (Note:  co-sleeping is not recommended when parents smoke, use drugs or alcohol, or are obese).   But the number one benefit proponents of co-sleeping cite is more sleep for all.   The family bed may be particularly convenient for breastfeeding mothers who can easily resume nursing until both mother and child drift peacefully back to sleep.  These mothers point out that there is no awakening to the piercing cries of a hungry baby, frightened and alone, adrenaline pumping for all as bottles are warmed and parents attempt to stay awake to feed him, only to have him re-awaken when returned to a cold crib sheet.

So it seems that modern parents are beginning to embrace the wisdom of ancient times.  As tightly-knit communities wane in favor of loosely-knit networks, individuals are more connected and yet more alone.  The paradox of today’s society is that it is both easier and more difficult than ever to be a successful parent.  There is more information available to parents than at any time in history.  Yet, information comes at a price:  if not careful, it can take the place of instinct.  In the end, the best approach for parents is to read, research, and understand available parenting methods and then trust themselves and their babies to do what is best.

Ref.  Baby Matters, Dr. Linda Palmer

         Askdrsears.com, Dr. William Sears

         Breastfeeding in a Bottle Feeding Culture, Tina Rychlik

         Wikipedia

Stephanie Lehane
http://www.articlesbase.com/parenting-articles/attachment-parenting-parenting-in-a-detached-society-730178.html